Batman and Catwoman: Gotham Nights
by Batman Murdock Kent
Summary: Things have been quiet in Gotham, until Catwoman is shot and nearly dies. After recovering and trying to catch her would be killer, Catwoman and Batman unravel a deadly mystery that threatens the entire city of Gotham. Together, they face the greatest challenge they have ever had, and also deal with their feelings for one another. Rated M for violence and sexual themes.
1. All Quiet, on the East Side

Batman and Catwoman: Gotham Nights

The chill wind and autumn leaves dance around Gotham City on October nights like these. The moon has been waxing, and will soon be full, and it shines down on his city, revealing it, as it should be seen. From the top of Wayne Tower, the entirety of Gotham is illuminated with the dim glow of moonbeams and streetlamps. The haunting gothic architecture and darkness giving a quiet respect and dignity to the city that most overlook and mistake for gloom. It's quiet, the kind of quiet that gives him hope that Gotham will rise from its past. Recently, things had been changing, his war went on, but it finally seems as though it may be drawing to a close. Gordon finally received enough evidence to arrest the Mayor and most of his government on racketeering and corruption charges. It's a miracle that Detective Bullock came across an audio recording of the mayor and his men discussing how best to rig elections and suppress their opponent's voter turn out. It was a miracle, helped along by a Red Robin who became a better detective than his mentor.

With the mayor gone, the dam of political corruption that had been building in Gotham since the early 1900's finally broke. The police force also went through renovations, with Gordon able to finally supply an honest internal affairs department, corrupt cops went from being the status quo to a rarity. All of the corrupt politicians and cops started turning on one another, many cut deals that involved little jail time, others turned states evidence on criminal organizations they had partnered with for leniency, but that didn't matter. What mattered was, for the first time in almost a century, Gotham had a democratically elected government, and the last vestiges of "old crime" had been destroyed.

The "new crime", as the Gotham newspapers and media called it, was still around, but even that began to improve within a matter of months. With new, largely uncorrupted, government officials, reforms of security pushed through by an eager new DA and a weary Police Commissioner finally demanded overhauls to Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison. Whenever he put away Dent, Cobblepot, Isely, or Croc, he expected to see them back out in a matter of weeks, two months at the most. But it had been six months now, six months since he had put away the Joker, Harley, Freeze, all of them, and they hadn't escaped yet. It has been six months of just dealing with street thugs. After dealing with psychopaths, personality disorders, friends who are now enemies, fighting muggers were a welcome change.

With all of this in mind, standing on top of Wayne tower, staring at his city below, his birthright, his responsibility, he did not see chaos or mayhem. He did not see criminals, he just saw people. They weren't running for their lives from toxic gas, or being shot at by a troubled man with a scarred coin, they were living their lives. His patrols are becoming less and less active; Tim and Dick had come to visit and remarked on how different the city is. Dick went as far to say the city felt different. Of course Gotham feels different, this city hasn't felt hope or relief in lifetimes. And for the first time in his life, he can return home to Wayne manor, and tell his parents he was winning his crusade. Looking down from Wayne tower, his cape billowing around him, thinking all of this, the Batman smiled.

There were still loose ends to take care of. Nobody had heard anything from Nygma in almost a year, Jason had fled Gotham and was taking his new brand of vigilantism to various places, he was last seen in Star City. Oliver had contacted him about getting into a fight with the Red Hood, but he got away. This time, just this once, Bruce hoped that Jason stayed hidden. Other then that, most of the criminals in Gotham were lying low, hiding from the now functioning police, courts, and prisons.

"Excuse me for interrupting Sir." A familiar English voice came in through his cowl.

"What is it Alfred?"

"Crime seems to be relatively quiet tonight sir, there has been a shooting on the corner of Stills and Knox. The police are on their way; the 9-1-1 call came as a mugging at first. I just thought it could give you something to do, you have been so bored of late."

"On route" was the only response the faithful butler received in reply as Batman leapt from his perch. He used his cape to glide across to the rooftops across from the massive structure bearing his name. He ran, knowing it would be quicker to travel by foot on the rooftops of Gotham than to drive to the scene of the crime. The city had gone through an increase of nighttime activity since the recent decrease in crime, and the Batmobile could no longer enjoy the empty streets born of fear of victimization that it used to.

If Bruce allowed himself any feelings under his cape and cowl, he would have to admit to himself that he almost enjoyed the feeling of running to help a victim on a cool Gotham night. If he weren't careful, he would let himself enjoy being a hero, which was dangerous. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, until he leapt from the roof again, this time drawing his grapple gun from his belt and firing it across streets. It buried itself deep into dark brick and mortar, and pulled him away with the strength that would tear the shoulder off of a lesser man.

Eventually, he found himself looking down on the crime scene. It had all of the marks of a mugging gone wrong. He saw the back of a woman leaning over another person dressed in black; there was blood beginning to pool underneath the victim. They were in an alley, a mugging changed to a shooting; he pushed the vision of his mother and pearls out of his head before landing next to the woman.

"What happened?" He asked, startling the already shocked woman trying to stop the bleeding.

"Oh God, you have to help, she tried to help me but he shot her, he was so fast!"

Bruce moved the woman, who seemed to be frozen trying to push blood back into the bullet wound, when he saw the victim. He hesitated in recognition and disbelief for a moment, before rushing to pull the blood coagulant from his belt while calling for the Batmobile.

"Alfred, prepare the medical lab in the cave!" He roared while performing all the first aid he could on the woman who had tried to stop the mugger. He heard Alfred leave the computer and go prepare the batcave. In another horrifyingly slow ten seconds, the batmobile finally showed up. He took the woman in his arms, and put her in the back seat as carefully as he could. He usually loved having her in his arms, but he hated it in this case. He drove as fast as he could, weaving through traffic, driving on curbs and the wrong side of the road as he roared toward Wayne Manor. The familiar feeling of fear, of loss, began to rise up in his chest, he pushed it down, refusing to feel it as he looked back to see if Catwoman was still breathing. Her chest was rising and falling, but it was strained, and he could hear her labored breathing even over the scream of the Batmobile's engine and his yelled directions to Alfred.

Like always happened when he returned to his home with a person on the edge of death, the rest of the night was a blur. He came back, carried Selina over to a waiting stretcher, and could only watch as Alfred went to help. Soon, the bullet was removed, and given to him to examine later. She was in pain, and the last time Alfred had seen a bullet wound this severe, he had been on a battlefield. It was over an hour of agonizing waiting and work before all the tiny fragments of the bullet were removed, and her bleeding stopped. It was another two hours before new blood was being administered to her via IV. But, finally, she was stabilized. She would be bed ridden for weeks; she had lost too much blood, and she had nearly died. Bruce stayed with her the rest of the night, as Alfred excused himself, exhausted from having to drag another costumed person from death's door. Alfred found him the next morning at the computer, analyzing the remains of the mushroomed bullet they had found in her. It was how Bruce dealt with fear, and with the idea of loss, he worked. Alfred knew it was best not to interrupt his investigation, he knew how he was, and how close he had come to losing someone he cared about that night, even if he didn't want to admit that to himself. Alfred left an English breakfast on the table next to Selina and walked back up the stairs, praying a silent prayer for the child who lost his parents. He prayed for the man who lost everything once, and whose only fear was losing anyone else.


	2. A Warm Hand to Hold

Selina woke to sunlight; she could feel the warmth of it first on her face, before she gained the strength to open her eyes. There were great windows to her right that allowed a bright midday sun to burst into the otherwise unlit room she found herself in. She was too tired to move, but could feel the goose feather pillows propping her head up, and the Egyptian cotton sheets that enveloped her. Selina decided she was too tired to worry or even think about where she was, and instead chose to surrender to the luxury she was laid in.

She didn't know how many hours had passed when she woke up again, but she knew that she had to have been out for a while. The streaming brilliance of the morning had been replaced with the blood red of an either early morning or late afternoon sun. She had either been out for hours or an entire day from the first time she woke up, she hoped it was the former and not the latter. She still felt weak, but had the energy to scan the room this time. There was something familiar about where she was, the smell reminded her of something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it was pleasant and oddly disarming. The room was dark, and about medium sized, she managed to push herself up with effort, and was able to see the entire room from her bed. The walls were painted a dark red that almost matched the mahogany floors. It was sparsely decorated, but the wardrobe, drawers, and bedside tables were lavishly crafted. She began to put the pieces together.

Looking over at the nearest bedside table, there was a bowl of what appeared to be lobster bisque, as well as a slice of French bread. She reached for it, but found her limbs heavier than they had ever been. It took her a few minutes to gather the energy to reach over and actually grab hold of the bowl. When she brought it over, she found herself to weak to hold it and had to sit it down on her leg. It was still warm, not hot, but warm. She guessed it had been left an hour or so ago. Concentrating, she lifted the spoon off the bedside table and brought the rich, delicious food to her lips. She ate as much as she could, before she had to stop from exhaustion, and because she knew if she ate such rich delicious food after not eating for a while, her night would most likely end with her ruining her wonderfully luxurious bed.

With the taste of a familiar meal still lingering on her lips, she smiled, as she finally seemed awake and strong enough to register all of the little clues around her. The dark richness of the room, the incredibly expensive furniture, but most of all, it was the smell. It smelled like him. She couldn't help herself, she smiled and almost purred to herself before she deposited the half eaten soup back on the side table and burrowed herself into the familiar sensations.

She had been lucky; by all rights she should be dead. She guessed that she had used up another of her nine lives. But she didn't want to think of what had happened, or what had almost happened. She wanted to bury herself in the soft Egyptian cotton, and nuzzle her pillow as she drifted off to sleep. She inhaled and searched through the various scents in the room to find the one she was looking for, it was his cologne. She sighed contentedly as she again drifted off to sleep.

"Bruce…"

When she awoke next, it was in the afternoon, almost sunset, and she wasn't alone. Years of thievery, fighting, of living on the streets, and just surviving had trained her well, and even she could see the dark shadow in the corner that was just a little too dark. She was still weak, she should conserve her strength, she knew she shouldn't even attempt to get up, but where was the fun in that? A little lie, to see if he would react that way she thought he would, or perhaps the way she hoped he would.

"I, where am I? Is anyone there?" She said with the best look of confusion and weakness she could mimic. She had become an excellent actress over the years; it was a valuable asset in her chosen career.

"Hello?" She asked again, before summoning the effort to swing her legs off the bed and sit up. The confusion she had faked, the weariness and pain had now become a reality though. Sometimes she hated herself, for the pains she would go through to have a little fun. She had been rewarded though, because when she looked up, the shadow had moved in front of her, and she was never happier to see or feel his familiar presence.

"Selina," he said in his deep baritone that she loved so much, "you have to rest." He put a large, calloused hand on her shoulder, and guided her back to the bed. His touch was soothing, and she loved how he always lingered when he touched her, even if he thought she didn't notice.

"I'd be more inclined to be a good patient and wait out my recovery if I had a little company." She said, her come hither smile was contrasted by how tired she suddenly felt. She must have been worse than she first imagined if this was keeping her from flirting with the Bat.

A smirk spread across Bruce's face, he loved how she never seemed to lose her playfulness. And he would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about crawling in there with her, but what she needed was rest. She didn't need their complicated relationship, not now at least.

"What you need is sleep, and plenty of rest. You'll be here for a few weeks."

"Weeks? Good luck keeping me here that long, at least," she smiled again and gave him a wink, "not without a little incentive."

He sighed; he knew what she was doing. It was her own form of normalcy bias; she didn't want to dwell on the fact she had almost died, so she was treating this like any other of their interactions.

"You almost died Selina." He said, with a mixture of detached melancholy in his voice. "You're staying here until you're better. If you try and leave, I'll stop you."

"House arrest then?"

"I'm afraid so."

She pouted before leaning back on her goose feather pillows.

"If you keep the gourmet food and wonderful accommodations coming, then I suppose I could take some time off."

She then saw something, she had only seen a few times. Bruce took her hand, and his thumb rubbed her wrist a few times. He didn't say anything for a few seconds; he just sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. He then left her hand and found her face, cupping it in his hand, before running it over her short black hair.

"Thank you." He said, before he got up and left the room. She knew why he left, it was night now, and he had work to do. But, for those moments where he was on the bed, he wasn't Batman or millionaire Bruce Wayne, he was just Bruce. He was just a man, an extraordinary man, but a man, holding on to someone that was precious to him. Someone he had seen brought back from the edge, and now just wanted to protect. Though the prospect of bed confinement seemed boring and daunting to someone who craved entertainment and fun like her, the way Bruce acted, how different he seemed, it made her feel like she was doing him a favor by staying. And if he was really so worried about her, she would.

A few minutes went by before Alfred came in. He had with him a cart that contained a salmon filet with red wine and roasted asparagus. She had regained enough strength now to move her right arm with minimal discomfort, and she greedily tore into the tender fish.

"I must say, it is refreshing to see you up and eating Ms. Kyle." The proper man standing next to her said, refilling her wine glass.

"Well it is delicious Alfred." She appreciated what he did for her, not just saving her life, but going out of her way to cook her favorite meals too.

"Master Wayne gave me a list of some of your favorite meals." He said, almost as though he read her mind, "I am glad to see you find them satisfactory. I have a hard time with seafood from time to time."

"It's perfect. Say, Alfred, how long have I been out of it?"

He checked his pocket watch before answering, "three days and almost five hours now. To be perfectly frank Ms. Kyle, the fact that you are eating and sitting up now is nothing short of remarkable. Even Master Dick took nearly five days after being almost fatally shot to eat of his own accord."

She took the compliment blindly before really thinking about it.

"What's remarkable is how blasé you are when comparing two people who were almost fatally shot."

"Almost as blasé as a woman who dresses like a cat and steals gems?" he spoke deadpan, "It is the cross I bear for Master Wayne and his protégés, and now you." Alfred spoke with a rye smile. "Anything can become routine if done routinely Ms. Kyle."

She had to admit, he had a point. Selina didn't live the most normal of lives, and Alfred being the Butler and personal assistant to Batman was no different.

"How is he, by the way?" The older man couldn't help but smile at the concern in her voice.

"He is consumed by his work Ms. Kyle. He has become obsessed with finding the person who attacked you. You know how he is when he feels he must do something he becomes…preoccupied. You gave him quite a fright it seems."

"I just hope he's safe," she said, returning the tray of food to Alfred. As he pushed it out, he smiled to himself. He liked Selina, he may not approve of her stealing, but he felt she was good for Bruce. He approved of them together. She was the only woman in his life that he felt could dwell in both the lives of Bruce and Batman. He paused at the door, before turning once more to her.

"He does care for you Ms. Kyle. And nearly losing you affected him. Be patient, he has a hard time discussing his feelings with others, but I have no doubt that what happened to you may, accelerate certain things. If I may be so bold as to say that. Goodnight Ms. Kyle. Let me know if you need anything."

And with that, the elderly English man left Selina stunned. She laid down, and saw that a TV had been installed at the foot of the bed, and a remote was placed on her bedside table. She tried watching a few shows, but nothing could keep her from thinking of what Alfred had said. She kept going back to Bruce holding her hand before he left, of how different it felt. Part of her was scared about what this would mean. She was comfortable with their little game of cat and bat. But the other half, she just kept thinking of how concerned Bruce was, how caring, and how it felt so right being near him.

She turned off the TV, and closed her eyes. The words of Alfred and the touch and smell of Bruce echoed in her mind. That night, she dreamt for the first time since the shooting. She dreamt of Bat signals and caressing hands, of fluttering capes, and warm embraces.


	3. Riddle Me This

Cold rain had begun to fall on these Gotham nights. The nights were longer, the patrols had extended to a wider area, and his zeal had returned. He no longer stood at the top of Wayne Tower, like some angel looking down at his beloved city. No, whenever he started to feel he was winning, whenever he became complacent, Gotham would remind exactly what kind of city it really was. Now, he stood above the scene of the crime. He knew the facts, Catwoman had been out on a run, she hadn't even broken the law, when she heard a woman scream. She went to help, she went to be a hero, and someone had shot her halfway to death.

These were the facts, and yet, the puzzle pieces didn't fit together. The mugger had been using a 10mm semi-jacketed hollow point rounds. He was fast enough to turn around as soon as Catwoman jumped down to fight him, and only fired once. First, the average mugger could not find, let alone afford a rare weapon like a 10mm semiautomatic pistol. Second, he had the reaction time and trained experience to shoot a woman at the peak of human health with the speed and agility of an Olympic level gymnast. Third, he only fired once. When taken off guard, men armed with guns will fire as fast as they can, often missing whatever it is they are actually afraid of, Batman knew this first hand. But this man, calmly, and calculatedly, fired one shot of a high powered round once into a trained woman who had the element of surprise. In her witness statement, the woman he had been mugging told the police he had told her to scream for her life. He hadn't asked for money or assaulted her. She had been bait.

The white, ghost like lenses that covered Bruce's eyes drew down to a slit as he thought more on the crime. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that the attack on Catwoman had been planned to look like a mugging gone wrong. What worried him, and what had been making his nights longer and more numerous was the fact that whoever attempted to kill her was still out there. What bothered him more was the guilt that clung to him that whispered that this was his fault.

It hadn't taken the Batman long to visit anyone and everyone who had the money or motive to put a hit out on Catwoman. She had stolen from Sionis on multiple occasions, and it was possible to order a hit from Blackgate Prison. It hadn't taken long for Batman to force the truth from Black Mask's second in command however, he hadn't even heard of Catwoman being shot. All of the lunatics in the asylum hadn't escaped, and they were too dramatic to let anyone kill Selina but themselves. The past five days, Batman had been looking under every rock for the slime that might know something about who tried to kill Selina.

He didn't like mysteries, they were messy, they were complicated, and a mystery meant being unprepared for what was to come. When it came to protecting those he loved, he would not be caught unaware. Love, could the Batman love? Bruce Wayne could, as a matter of fact Bruce Wayne loved several people. But sacrificing the life of Bruce Wayne to protect Gotham, as Batman was normal. At least, it was his normal. He loved Alfred like a father; he loved Dick and Tim as sons. He loved them because they accepted all of him, Millionaire Bruce Wayne, Batman, and the real Bruce. And, whether he loved her or not, he could not escape the fact that Selina was the only woman to accept both Batman and Bruce romantically.

This realization made his present predicament ever more painful. Alfred had told him once that Bruce always made everything his responsibility. He did not say it in anger, or as an insult, he stated it as a mournful fact. He did make everything his responsibility, to the point that he nearly killed himself every week to protect the second largest city in the United States. But what happened to Selina, he should have been able to stop it. If he hadn't relaxed, if he hadn't have been content with the lowering crime rate, if he had done what was necessary and kept patrolling instead of resting on his laurels, Selina wouldn't be confined to a bed. He knew she hated that; she hated to be stuck in one place for too long. Now, she was stuck, she had nearly died, all because he got sloppy and complacent.

"Sir?"

Batman visibly shook his head as if to wipe away the self-doubt held itself to him.

"Yes."

"Sir, you've already been out for over nine hours, why don't you come back home? This is the fifth night in a row now."

"I have to find the man that did this Alfred."

"Sir, freezing yourself to death is not helping Ms. Kyle recuperate."

"She deserves justice."

Alfred knew what he meant. He meant, "she deserves better, this was my fault. How can I face her when her shooter is still out there?" Bruce spoke in emotional shorthand that few could understand. He held demons that fewer could even believe existed. This is what gave him his drive and his purpose; it is also what filled him with such darkness.

"Sir, she misses you. If I may be so bold."

"I miss her Alfred." He returned, giving the butler hope he would return, that he would let go of the burden he carried, if only for the rest of the night. "But he's still out there, and I have to find him, for both our sakes." The butler was disappointed, but he had expected this.

"Try the Hellfire Tavern, off of the docks sir. Mr. Nygma has been spotted there, perhaps he may know something." He received no reply, but was instead given the familiar sound of Batman calling the batmobile to his location. The roar of the engine and the screech of the tires filled the fading night as Batman made his way to the docks. He knew where this little tavern was. He also knew that the Riddler had been laying low for months, and had no doubt become paranoid. He would have safeguards in place in case the police or Batman showed up. Driving the batmobile as hard as it could go, Batman didn't care if there were guards or traps. He needed information, and Nygma prided himself on knowing everything, and especially, everything that happens in the Gotham underworld.

Batman arrived outside the tavern with only an hour of night left to work. The building was two storied, and sandwiched between two enormous warehouses on the waterfront. It was nondescript, grey, and completely boring in every way. It was perfect as a hideout. Batman grappled to the left warehouse, before looking down on the small bar. He had limited time to work, and less patience than normal. He threw a batarang that beeped with a red light down into the wooden roof. It stuck with an audible thud.

"One" Bruce counted under his breath before jumping from his perch and diving toward the roof.

"Two" he spread his cape out, with caught the wind and slowed him like a parachute as he was fifty yards above the wooden roof. Simultaneously, the beeping batarang exploded with enough force to create a whole large enough for a man to fall through.

"Three" he whispered as he landed in a kneeling position, with six or seven confused, terrified, and dusty faces staring at him in the center of the room. The room was lit but darkened from the dust and debris from the explosion and entrance of the Batman. As he straightened to his full height, three of the now confirmed seven men bolted for the exit.

"Nygma." Batman growled, "Where. Is. Nygma." The four remaining men found themselves looking at one another, unsure of how to proceed. "I'll ask once more." Batman stated before he leapt toward the closest man to his left. He jumped in the air and landed with an elbow to the man's collarbone that was instantly shattered. As he fell, Batman kicked his head almost half-heartedly, knocking him out. He then turned to look at the three men in front of him.

"You imbeciles!" a squeaky, bookish voice squealed from the stairs. Batman saw the Riddler in his green vest and tie headed out the door, downstairs. He was going to escape. "Protect me, that's what I paid you for!" And with that final command he disappeared down the stairs. Batman reacted immediately, throwing a smoke bomb and grappling to the roof of the tavern he had just partially destroyed. He knew the other men didn't matter, but that it would take at least six seconds to deal with them, six seconds he didn't want to waste when he could be hunting the Riddler.

The most likely escape the Riddler had planned was heading out the back, and keeping a car there, just in case. Sure enough, as Batman looked out the west side of the building, a green figure was trying to get into a car. Batman glided down, landing silently behind him, as the Riddler uttered expletives trying to get inside of his would be getaway vehicle.

"I want answers Nygma." Batman roared behind him, causing the Riddler to try and jump away. Before he could get a few inches away though, a powerful arm grabbed him, and had flung him to the cold hard ground. The landing was jarring, he had landed on his face, he was already bleeding when he looked back up.

"What, some puzzle that your pathetic brain cannot comprehend, and you need my help?"

He received a kick to the face for his quip, turning the small oozing of blood from his forehead into a steady trickle.

"I'm done with the games!" Batman yelled at him. "Who wanted Catwoman dead!? Who tried to kill her!" Now Batman was over him, and had reached down, only to fling him against the brick wall of the adjacent warehouse.

"I don't know." The Riddler lied. Batman threw an uppercut into his stomach that actually lifted his feet off the ground.

"The truth, Nygma."

Now bleeding from his face, and with a broken rib, the Riddler collapsed to the ground. "What," he tried to speak through his pain and harshened breathing, "what is always around, but you cannot see? What is destined for all, but is so unseemly?"

"Death." Batman spoke, easily deciphering the riddle.

"Now, what must be taken, but is actually given at the same time?"

Batman let him speak in his Riddles. He understood why the Riddler had to speak in riddles. It was a psychological obsession, and he knew the only answers he would get would be given to him this way.

"A shot." Batman looked down to see the Riddler nod his head in agreement.

"Death, and shot. Deadshot." Batman reached down and grabbed the lapels of the Riddler's vest, slamming him against the brick wall again. "Deadshot tried to kill Catwoman? Why?!"

He slammed him against the bricks again, and then let him crumple to the ground again.

"I don't know. I just know he was the one who did it. That's all I know, I swear."

Batman didn't do anything, except deliver a swift punch that knocked the Riddler out. He dragged his unconscious body over to the light post that was outside of the tavern, next to the batmobile. He quickly contacted Commissioner Gordon, so that the GCPD could pick up the Riddler. He didn't have time to take him back to Arkham, the night had been long, and as he looked out on the waterside, he saw the sun beginning to rise.

As he thundered home in the Batmobile, Batman gave way to Bruce. He felt the long hours, the lack of sleep, the cold, the wet, the thirst, and the hunger that he had suppressed while he was Batman. Most of all, he felt tired, tired from being out night after night, tired of having the weight of an entire city laid upon him. He arrived at the Batcave, and actually stumbled out of the batmobile. Alfred was waiting on him, with hot tea, and a tray of food. Bruce took both, but continued past the computer, the workshop, past all of it, and made his way to Selina's room.

In the past few days, Alfred had brought in a plush leather chair from the study, and had placed it next to Selina's bed. Bruce sat down in it, put his tray with his omelet and tea over his legs, and looked at the woman sleeping peacefully in front of him. He ate quietly, but quickly, devouring his breakfast. Alfred soon darkened the door, and as quietly as possible stepped over to relieve his master of the tray. He still held his tea, it warmed him, and he held onto it greedily.

"Master Bruce." Alfred whispered, "Perhaps you should rest Sir."

"No, I need to make sure she's alright. He might try again. Increase mansion and cave security Alfred, and research the whereabouts of a man named Floyd Lawton. I'll be here, making sure she's ok."

"Yes sir." Alfred immediately left to do what Bruce had told him. He didn't hear what escaped his master's lips next. Bruce looked at Selina; she was so peaceful. She was so beautiful, just lying there, asleep, with her short black hair flattened in certain places, and her right arm flung by her side. He had almost lost her.

"I should have been there." He whispered to her, and to himself.

"I should have been there, so you wouldn't be here."


	4. Breakfast at Wayne Manor

Selina had gotten annoyingly used to sleeping in. She didn't like it, she preferred to either sleep all day, or sleep all night, and she hated this middle of the day business that every other boring person on earth held so tightly on to. She would prefer to either wake early, to take on the day with intelligence, poise, and grace, or to sleep all day and expend all of her energy at night. She didn't like waking up in Bruce's bed with no Bruce, but today, Selina didn't mind waking up in this bed. Today, she found herself with company.

"Good morning Selina." A dark baritone greeted her to the new day as she awoke. She turned over, with a twinge of pain, to find possibly the oddest sight anyone in Gotham had ever seen. In a large, plush leather chair sat the Dark Knight, in full nightmare inducing regalia, except for his cowl. His blue eyes and messy black hair would seem almost foreign on the body of the Batman to anyone else, but Selina thought it looked perfectly natural. His cape fell from the chair like a waterfall of black, and surrounded pooled underneath the chair. He held a mug in his left hand.

"The terror of Gotham's Underworld, the Dark Knight himself, is my bed nurse today?" Selina teased him, but truthfully she was glad to see him. She knew he had been running himself ragged the last few days to find who had attacked her. She had wanted to see him, had hoped he would come down to spend time with her, but she knew he would be consumed by his night work.

"I had a productive night." He said, setting the mug down on the bedside table. She could see how tired he was, even if no one else could. There were bags under his eyes, and his usual icy blue, attentive gaze, was barely holding up under the ordeal he had put himself through. "I cornered Nygma, and persuaded him to help us with the investigation."

"Hmmm" Selina purred, "I'm sure he was eager to lend his assistance."

"No," Bruce almost smiled at her deadpan humor. "But he learned quickly that when someone like you is attacked, I become less patient."

"Someone like me? What's that mean handsome?" She knew perfectly well what it meant. What he really said was "Someone I care about," but she wanted to hear him say it. And besides, she loved teasing him.

"It was Deadshot. He was hired by someone to kill you." He ignored her, getting straight to the information. "Do you have any idea why?"

"Deadshot?" Selina's playful nature turned contemplative. "I've never had anything to do with him before, so it couldn't have been personal."

"Have any idea who would hire Deadshot to kill you?"

"You might want to get out a cartoonishly long piece of paper if you're making a list of the people who want me dead. But," she bit her bottom lip while she thought, a habit that Bruce did not fail to notice, and thought was rather cute, "any of the ones who could afford an assassin like him are either incapacitated or running scared."

"Well, I'll find him." He said, stating it as a fact and not a hopeful outcome. "And when I do, we'll find out who hired him, and bring them down."

"Thank you Bruce. But, now that you know it was Deadshot, why don't you rest for a little bit. Look at you! You certainly need it. You could stay here, keep me company," again she shot him that suggestive look that made is stomach tighten in anticipation, "we could play doctor."

"Batman doesn't get tired." Bruce said, making Selina roll her eyes at him speaking in third person, "and Bruce Wayne is used to staying up days at a time to party or go to secret orgies or whatever the media thinks I do."

"But the real Bruce, he's human, and he needs his rest just like I do."

"Selina-"

Their discussion was interrupted by Alfred bringing them both food. While Selina ate delicious pancakes, Bruce was treated with simple steak and eggs. After retrieving their empty plates and returning with coffee, Alfred happily told Bruce of how Selina had been doing on her road to recovery.

"You'll be pleased to know Sir, that Ms. Kyle is recuperating far faster than we had expected. She still cannot move her left arm or shoulder without discomfort, but she has been walking around the mansion for a few days now. She does tire easier than I imagine she would normally, but after almost bleeding out she is healing remarkably." He seemed almost giddy to talk to Bruce about something other than homicidal clowns or former psychologists turned chemical terrorists.

"Pretty soon I'll be fit enough to partake in one of our little games of hide and seek." She said, flashing Bruce a predatory grin. "And to get my claws back."

"If you don't break the law, I won't have to chase after you." He said with a straight face, secretly reveling in the back and forth they shared.

"Hmmmreow, who is to say that's not why I break the law?" She flirted back.

"Ahem," Alfred coughed, gaining their attention back. "I'm sorry to interrupt Sir, but it's already noon, you must prepare for the opera tonight."

"Opera?" Bruce's brow furrowed as he tried to imagine why on earth he would go to the opera tonight, instead of chasing criminals and jumping off of buildings.

"Yes Sir, you bought two tickets to Don Giovanni. All of the money raised by the opera tonight goes to several of your charity foundations Sir. It would seem, improper; to not have Bruce Wayne attend such a philanthropic event that he bought tickets for."

Bruce rubbed his temples as he remembered his other responsibilities that he owed to Gotham. "What time is it?"

"It starts in seven hours sir, though you are no doubt expected to arrive an hour early to be seen and to greet some of the guests."

"Is there any way that I could get out of this? I just found out who attacked Selina and I don't want the trail getting any colder."

"No, you're going." Both men's heads whipped to Selina after she ordered Bruce to go to the Opera.

"What?"

"You're going. You need a night off, Don Giovanni is one of your favorites, you're going to go, and then have a nice meal, and I'm going with you to make sure that you don't slip off if the bat signal lights up."

"I believe that is a marvelous idea Ms. Kyle. I'll go to your apartment and fetch a dress and other effects for you, is there any preference?"

"It's hanging with a special covering, you'll know it when you see it. Other then that just throw some stuff in a bag. Also, since I guess I'm temporarily moving in," she smiled innocently at Bruce as she spoke before returning her emerald gaze to Alfred, "If you would bring Isis, she hasn't seen her mommy is such a long time now."

As Alfred and Selina spoke, Bruce stared at Selina, and Selina, occasionally, back at him. Bruce knew what this was. It was another game, another fight for dominance between the two of them. It was a challenge, to be met with another challenge, a never-ending game of cat and bat.

"The man who tried to kill you is still out there, he's been positively identified, and you want to go to the Opera with me?"

"You need a night off, and I need a night that isn't filled with boredom. It will be good for both of us. You know you'll enjoy it."

"What if I said no?"

"Then I guess I would go by myself, injured, unable to fight or escape if something happens, with no strong handsome man to protect me."

"You've never needed protecting before."

"I've had full use of both of my arms before."

"That's an excuse and you know it."

"Maybe," she said as she examined her nails, "but I know you well enough that if I leave you're not going to let me go alone."

His eyes narrowed, and she knew she had won. She laid back, with a triumphant grin on her face, "Wear something handsome will you? I like making the other women jealous."

Alfred just smiled and walked out, making a mental list of everything he would need to do to prepare both Bruce and Selina for the night. For his part, Bruce just got up and loomed over Selina.

"One night. That's it." He said, before turning his back and exiting the room. "I'm taking a nap and a shower."

"Sounds wonderful, it's a date!" She called after him, laughing quietly and melodically to herself.


	5. The Little Games We Play

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this little story I've put together! It's been so much fun to write and I just hope you enjoy reading it. I've edited and re-uploaded some of the last chapters, added a little new dialogue or fixed grammatical errors I didn't spot when I first posted them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading and reviewing and thanks to all the people that followed or favorite the story! There are going to be a few more chapters that focus on dialogue and romance before we get back to the action! So, fair warning.

Bruce was still asleep when Alfred came back with several suitcases for Selina. It had taken him about an hour and a half to drive, pack, move, and chase Isis around before he could finally return to Wayne Manor victorious. He feared the cat would be troublesome again, but it proved to be a simple matter of simply having Selina call for the finicky feline from the door. Alfred deposited the various bags and trunks in Selina's room before walking to the door.

"I have brought everything I thought you may need Ms. Kyle. The bags are separated from casual, to business, to formal, then a bag for various miscellaneous items you may have need or want of, and finally a bag dedicated to your pet. Will you be needing anything else?"

"I'm not sure how to ask this but, where is my suit?" She asked, picking up Isis in the process.

"You're suit Ms. Kyle? I found a few and packed them for you in the business luggage. I apologize if I was not clear."

"The suit I'm talking about is blacker and has more, well, claws."

"Ah, apologizes Ma'am. Master Bruce asked that it be kept in the Batcave next to his collection. It has been repaired, washed, and will be accessible to you once you have fully healed."

"Thank you Alfred," Selina said, genuinely grateful, as she held and scratched Isis's chin.

"Let me know if there is anything more I can do for you Ms. Kyle. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to assist Master Bruce in his preparations for the evening."

Alfred closed the door and checked his pocket watch. He walked briskly to the master bedroom to find Bruce dead to the world. Alfred guessed that he had maybe three to four hours of sleep. He would need at least five to spare Selina the wrath of a sleep deprived and cranky Bruce Wayne. Though Alfred preferred to have Bruce up, dressed and ready at least a few hours before leaving, he decided to allow him an extra hour or two. After all, arriving fashionably late with a beautiful Selina Kyle would be in keeping with his image.

Selina, meanwhile, busied herself with unpacking and preparing. She quickly packed about twelve outfits into the old wardrobe, keeping out one of her dresses and some jewelry for tonight. She then revealed the contents of one of the smaller bags, finding makeup, magazines, books, movies, even a few of her little knick knacks that she kept in her apartment. She left that bag mostly undisturbed, besides grabbing her cosmetics, making a mental note to go through all of its contents the next day. Moving on to the final bag, she found it full of cat food, Isis's cat scratcher, and a new litter box. Selina smiled to herself, the old man really had thought of everything. Moving over to a dresser that had been put there for her convenience, she deposited all the jewelry that Alfred had brought to her from her collection.

She then caught her reflection in the mirror and her eyes widened. She was about to go out on the town with Bruce, and she looked like an extra from a horror movie. Her hair was disheveled, her lips pale, and her eyes lacked the clarity and piercing visage they usually created. Suddenly, she felt a need. It was worse than her need to be Catwoman, or her need to jump about on Gotham nights and enjoy herself; it was even greater than her need for Bruce. She needed a shower.

While Selina had been unpacking, an hour had past and Bruce had awoken from his mercifully dreamless sleep. Alfred found him doing pushups and sit-ups on the bedroom floor.

"Sir, the event starts in three hours. Perhaps you should clean up and prepare yourself?" It was a command, not a request, and Bruce marveled at how his surrogate father could still talk down to him from time to time.

"Alright, a shower sounds good anyway. How is she?" He spoke as he got up and grabbed a towel. He began walking to the bathroom as he talked with Alfred.

"She is in good spirits Sir. I do believe she is looking forward to this evening. Sir, why don't you use the shower adjacent to your bedroom? We do have a lady as a guest now after all."

Bruce smirked at the old fashioned sentiment. Selina had dressed as a bat with a cape; she could survive just his bare chest.

"That bathroom hasn't run right since Hugo Strange attacked the manor last year remember?"

"Oh yes, I must remember to call a repairman. My mistake sir, enjoy your shower, I shall go and see if Ms. Kyle needs any assistance."

Selina needed assistance. She had found her purple, fluffy robe, she had found a towel, but she could not find a bathroom. Surely, in a building that has dozens or maybe hundreds or rooms, one, just one, would have a shower. She was growing desperate as she found another spare room, sparsely decorated. Then, she heard it; she heard the wonderful sound of running water. She quickly stepped over to the door where the sound had escaped. It sounded as if someone was still using the shower. So, not wanting to be rude, she knocked.

"Hello?" the unmistakably low and warm voice of Bruce now joined the sound of water in leaking from the door. "Alfred?"

She had two choices. She could be good, or she could be bad. She began to weigh her options carefully. On the one hand, Bruce had been incredibly concerned for her safety, enough to nearly kill himself looking for her attacker, and he had opened up both his home and a bit of himself to her. On the other hand, there was a chemistry they shared that was not all emotional, and seeing how he reacted to her advances was one of the most enjoyable things she could think of. Then again, she didn't want to ruin their non-physical chemistry by pushing him too far. And there was always the chance she would surprise him and he would attack her out of instinct. She was still undecided when she finally came to a simple thought that typically answered most moral quandaries for her. Would Catwoman do this? The answer was clear as a stolen crystal.

Bruce thought he had heard Alfred knocking while he was taking a shower. He had asked if anyone was there but heard nothing. Shaking his head, he returned to shaving the other half of his neck. The mirror that had been installed in the shower was beginning to fog, obstructing his view of his neck and his father's straight razor. He wiped it away without a thought, but before returning to the task at hand he froze. Directly behind him, smiling over his shoulder wickedly was Selina.

"Straight razor hmm? I do love men who do things the old fashioned way."

"What are you doing in here?" He said in his Batman voice. Selina's smile only grew larger at the growl he let out. He pinned her down with his eyes, but made sure to only look in the mirror. The only thing keeping him from seeing all of her was the fact she was directly behind him

"I thought the shower was empty. I need to clean up before we head out. I knocked and everything."

"I responded."

Selina merely shrugged her bare shoulders, "I guess I just didn't hear you."

"You didn't hear me, or the water that was clearly on, or notice that someone was already using the shower when you came in here?"

She didn't respond to his questions, she only took the razor from him and turned him around to face her. It took all of his self-control to only look in her eyes, and even more to not kiss her.

"Usually I have to tell men that my eyes are up here." She said gesturing to her face, "I don't have the opposite problem very often."

"Don't you think this is a little bold of you?"

"I think that if the water is getting too hot for you, that you can leave whenever you want." She traced his jawline before pushing his head up, revealing his neck. "Now stay still, I don't want to cut this beautiful body of yours."

Bruce could only mumble as the blade crossed over his skin. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Think of it as a trust exercise. Besides, if I'm going out with you tonight, I want you to look your best." A few strokes later, and she carefully folded the razor away, depositing it on a shelf nearby. "There, good enough to eat."

Bruce had long been a student of martial arts, some of those martial arts even being modern sports. Wrestling, tae kwon doe, boxing, even fencing were all useful to him in one way or another. And he knew that in any fight, or competition, or sport, that sometimes the only way to win was to fight fire with fire. He preferred to be reserved, to be logical, and to either crush his opponent with overwhelming offense, or to wait until they made a mistake, then capitalize on it with an outstanding defense. But, occasionally, there was an opponent that was dead set on playing by their rules and not yours. And sometimes, you had to play their game if you wanted to win. As Bruce considered his options, he knew what Batman would do, and he knew what he wanted to do. He knew he should leave now, scold her for invading his privacy, and slam the door on the way out. Batman knew he had to keep her at arms length; it was dangerous for them to act on their impulses.

But Bruce Wayne knew that just a few days ago, he thought that she had died. He knew that when Alfred had been operating on her, and the possibility of her dying was very real, that he had wished for another opportunity like this. For a chance to show her, in some way, how happy she made him. Bruce Wayne could not have a normal relationship. Luckily for him, neither could Selina Kyle. Maybe, together they could have…

"We're going to have a long talk sometime about this invasion of personal privacy Selina. This is ridiculous." He spat out. He could see it in her eyes then, the fire, the spark, and the life that resided in them. Before she could open her mouth to fire a quip at him, he embraced her and pulled her to him. It was dangerous, and it was stupid. They were naked, alone, and kissing as hard and passionately as they both ever had. He knew it was probably the wrong decision, but it was what he wanted. She was what he wanted. He just wanted to show her, somehow, that he did actually like this game they played. He just didn't know how.

She was surprised at first but quickly gave in to his strong grip and wet lips. Of all the reactions she had anticipated this was the least likely, but it was also the one she wanted most. She knows what Bruce thinks of her game with him. He may think it's just a distraction or a dalliance, but it's really a ritual, a courtship. She does truly care for Bruce; she just wished she could show him. But, she didn't know how.

Finally, they had to pull away from one another. They hovered over each other's lips, gasping, wanting desperately to clash back together. Bruce stared at her full, red lips. He knew what he wanted. She knew what she wanted. No, Bruce thought, not now, and not in this way. No, Selina thought, not this soon, not when it may be a mistake.

"Thanks for the shave." Bruce finally managed. He tore himself reluctantly from her, and left the shower. He quickly put on a towel and left. The absence of his body heat made her cold, or maybe that was just the absence of him all together. Either way, she washed herself, and couldn't help but smile. So gentlemanly, just a kiss, not even a look below her neckline, and he was gone. Still, she was thankful they broke away. They needed to talk, before they headed down that road. She examined the straight razor while she toweled herself dry. Laughing quietly, she came to the conclusion that maybe old fashioned was a very good thing sometimes.

When Alfred finally found Bruce again, he was tying his bowtie in the mirror of his bedroom.

"Ah, you look positively dashing Sir. However, I'm afraid I've lost Ms. Kyle, might you know where she is perchance?"

Bruce couldn't help it, his cheeks felt warm and he blushed ever so slightly. "I think she was taking a shower, I'm sure she's in her room now."

"Very good Sir, I shall tell her that you await her downstairs. I'm positive that you and Ms. Kyle will have a wonderful night tonight Sir."

After fastening his cufflinks and gently tucking his gloves into his tuxedo's jacket pocket, Bruce could only turn around and smile at his old friend.

"This will be a night to remember Alfred."


	6. A Night at the Opera

From the outside, Wayne Manor seems to be an imposing fortress of 19th century architecture and cold stone, frozen in place with the triumph of financial success. The iron gates and scarce view afforded to one not allowed on the actual premises is daunting. Inside, however, warm wood and lit hallways of cherished antiquities create a distinctly welcoming air. As Bruce Wayne waited for Selina downstairs, he thought of how the mansion's exterior was imposing, but it's interior was a lovely home to the select few that were allowed inside. Bruce shook his head of the obvious metaphor, and instead put an errant hair in its place while looking at a mirror.

"My, someone cleans up nicely." A silken voice from the stairs caught his attention. He turned, but didn't say anything, he refused to. He wasn't going to waste any time or energy on replying to her, he was going to memorize this moment, her figure, her dress, the way she glided down the steps, gloved hands barely touching the bannister. He hair seemed to shine with raven like perfection, which could only be matched by the midnight black of her strapless dress. The dress itself fell just at her knees, and showed her femininity, and, if one knew where to look, the defined muscles of a fighter and acrobat. Her white opera gloves, red lips, and silver necklace and earrings offset the black that surrounded her, making a brilliant appearance for brilliant woman.

Selina reveled in the reaction that she had drawn from Bruce. To anyone unfamiliar with him, he just seemed to be smiling, a look of pleasance on his face. But to her, she could see his eyes darting about her, taking in every detail, memorizing her. For his part, he didn't look too bad either, the black tux was traditional, but if anyone could pull of black, it was Bruce. The familiar adrenaline began to burn through her veins as her anticipation for the night came in full force. She couldn't wait to see just how this all turned out, especially with the stunt he had pulled in the shower earlier. By the time she had finally reached him, he still had not said anything. She offered her hand, he took it, and kissed her without breaking eye contact.

"What's the matter Bruce, Cat got your tongue?" She laughed languidly, before taking another step and putting her hands on his chest.

"You look stunning Selina." She purred as she drifted her face close and closer to his. His hands were suddenly on her hips, as he guided her closer. Selina laughed in her own head, this was promising. But, as their lips were about to meet, he suddenly dodged around her face and held her in a tight embrace. It wasn't necessarily what she had wanted, but it was sweet. "But don't think I don't remember that necklace." He whispered in her ear, giving her a thrill that ran down her spine.

"What this little thing?" She said breaking away and gesturing to her neck. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do. I knew it had been stolen from Falcone's daughter, and I had my suspicions it was you but could never prove it. Until now that is."

Selina traced a bat symbol onto Bruce's chest, "you're supposed to be taking the night off from Bat-duty remember?"

"I remember, that's why I'm letting you keep it for now. After all, Sofia Gigante Falcone doesn't need jewelry in prison."

"You really know how to talk to a girl, did anyone ever tell you that?"

"I have exhorted the charms of Master Bruce for years Ms. Kyle." An English voice stated deadpan from their side. Alfred was carrying two overcoats, and was wearing his chauffeur cap. "The car is awaiting Sir, and here are your coats." He assisted both of them with their overcoats before the trio left for the car. It was a beautiful extended wheelbase Rolls Royce Ghost. She practically sunk into the rich leather as she got in the back with Bruce, the fact that it was black made her smirk.

"Does everything you own have to be black?"

"Says the woman with the black hair, black dress, black high heels, who dresses as a black cat, while owning a black cat, and utilizing a black whip." He turned to her expectantly, waiting for her comeback.

"I liked it better when you didn't have a sense of humor." She said, but the amused curve of her lips and the light in her eyes spoke the exact opposite.

It was a quiet ride to the Gotham Opera House. The roads from Wayne Manor to the city proper of Gotham were slow by design. Bruce didn't like people coming to visit him unless asked, and it was better for Batman to leave the batcave from a place of relative isolation. As they crested a ridge, the entirety of the city came to view under them. It was so beautiful from a distance. Gotham City was a wild animal, absolutely beautiful from a ways off, but if you got too close, and you weren't careful, it would eat you alive. Bruce shook off the thoughts of crime and villainy, at least for tonight. Tonight, he had Selina Kyle, and the entire night to enjoy himself. For one night, just one night, maybe he could be happy.

Arriving at the red carpet of the opera house was as annoying as it ever was. The paparazzi had begun to yell at him as soon as the somehow elusive billionaire showed up. The ruckus was only increased when Selina stepped out from the car and took his arm. The flashes and commands to know how long they had been dating filled the night as they made their way up the red carpet, largely ignoring the rabble and enjoying each other's company. With Selina's arm laced through his, and her voice whispering jokes about the silly men with their silly cameras in his ear, Bruce couldn't help but put on a smile that was true, and not just that of the billionaire.

"Mr. Wayne! Thank you so much for coming!" A woman's voice assaulted their peaceful reverie as they came into the opera house proper. "I'm so glad you could come tonight! And with such lovely company as well!" The woman was the director of the Opera, and Bruce was suddenly very concerned he could not remember her name.

"Thank you, is it alright if we go ahead and take our seats?" Selina never understood how he could do that. He could change from his low grumble that struck fear into people's hearts, to this light, airy, and rich sounding voice. No wonder no one suspected him of being Batman. When Bruce became billionaire Bruce Wayne, he was the farthest thing from Batman or her Bruce. She didn't like it.

"Oh, well, wouldn't you like to at least meet a few people before taking your seats?" She asked, somewhat disappointedly.

"I would love to," his honeyed affectation replied, "but Selina has recently been in a car accident and tires easily," he then looked at her, mock concern on his face, "don't you darling?"

"Oh," Selina said, suddenly placing the back of her hand to her forehead, "It has been positively dreadful. If I wasn't holding on to Bruce I don't know what I'd do." She said, staring back at him. She made a mental note to get back at him for this.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, go right ahead, do you know where your seats are?"

"Of course, and thank you. Now then, come along Selina." He guided her to their box seats. Once they were out of view, she kicked his shin with her heel, making him grunt quickly and almost trip before continuing on.

"If you make me play the stupid damsel again I'm going to claw your eyes out."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, as they took their seats overlooking the stage. He rubbed his shin before sitting back up. The sweet, rich tone had gone from his voice and he was just Bruce again. She was thankful for that. It was about thirty minutes before the opera started, and they had nothing but time to kill. Selina wanted to ask him a question, but she wasn't sure it was the right time. After weighing her options, she decided it would never be the right time, so why not ask.

"We need to talk don't we?"

He looked at her, and stared directly into her eyes. The vacant expression of the billionaire was gone, now it was jus the cold stare of the Bat.

"Yes."

"Ok, well. Why don't you start." She prompted, hoping he would take the initiative. She had never been good at these sorts of things; she had never even really had a serious relationship. She wasn't even necessarily sure that that was what they had.

"Selina, I," he sighed, "I don't know how."

"You don't know how what?"

"I don't know how to do this." He said, and then gestured to them both.

"Yeah, neither do I." She responded truthfully. "Maybe, we should just ask each other questions?" She didn't know why she said that; it was probably stupid and made no sense, but she had to say something instead of having the box fill with silence.

"Hmm," he thought for a moment, clearly trying to choose his words carefully. "Is this just another one of your games? Or do you want it to be more than a game?"

"Oh, wow, right to it." Selina blinked a few times. "I guess calling it a game is fair. And that is how it started out, but." She bit her lip, looking for the right words, "I wouldn't mind having more. I still like our game. I still like playing it, but I can't help but think of the future. We can't keep playing this game forever."

"You're right."

"Do you ever think of the future?" She asked him.

He nodded.

"Do you think of the same future I think of, if we keep going the way we have?"

"I don't know. What do you see?"

Selina closed her eyes before looking at him again. "We're being honest with each other tonight right? No monosyllabic bravado, and no overly flirtatious femininity tonight ok? I think it's time we be honest with each other. Can we do that?"

Bruce looked her in the eyes for a few moments. Could he do that? The truthful answer was he didn't know. "Yes."

"Ok, good." She seemed relieved. "It's just, what's going to happen to us in thirty or forty years? We'll get old, too old for our current nightlives. I'll have to quit, and then what? What will you do? Will I just be a forgotten thief? Will they keep my goggles and whip at the Gotham Museum next to your Batarangs?"

"Gotham will always have a Batman." Bruce spoke. "I've seen to that."

"Maybe, but it won't be you. So what will you do, be stuck in a cave helping Nightwing or Red Robin or whoever takes over for you? You'd be an old man in a cave, alone, with a shattered and scarred body, and me an old woman, alone in an apartment, with a broken and scarred body. I don't want that for us Bruce."

"So what do you want?"

"Look, I'm not going to ask you and Alfred to put up a white picket fence around Wayne Manor, or for us to have kids and live our lives happily ever after. I wouldn't even know how to live that life it that's what I wanted. What I want is for us to be honest with each other. You may have the rest of Gotham fooled, but I know you're just a man. And I know that you hurt. I also know that, you care about me. And if you were honest, you'd admit that you know it to. But it's ok, because, well, I care about you Bruce. And that scares the hell out of me."

Bruce kept staring at her, taking in everything she had said, and found himself unable to argue with any of it. "I do care about you Selina."

"Oh good," she said, slumping slightly in relief in her chair, "because I wasn't one hundred percent on that line about you caring about me."

The joke brought down the serious air a bit. But there were still words unspoken. "Bruce? How do you feel, about this, or, well, us?"

"I think," he spoke slowly, methodically, "that you haven't stolen anything that wasn't from a known criminal since your last stint in prison. I think that you've changed. I think that you have been honest the entire night. But Selina, if it's my turn to be honest, I don't know. I don't know how to have a relationship with a woman and it not turn out awful. And, I don't know if I can have it both ways. I've spent so long, taking away things I want for the mission."

Selina readied herself. She knew this would happen. He was Batman, and that always had to come first.

"Give me time. It won't be easy, and I know I'm asking too much, but just give me time Selina. I want to try and figure this out with you, but it might take a while."

Well, it wasn't a no. In fact, in Bruce Wayne speech it was practically a yes. Selina felt a smile pull at her lips.

"If it's anything we have Bruce, it's time. I'm stuck at your house remember?"

Bruce just smiled, and was happy she understood. He then looked at his watch, and saw that they had a little more time.

"You know that we still have three minutes right? Have any other quick questions?"

"Hmmmreow." She hummed, the playfulness back in her eyes. "Since we're being honest now, how do you actually feel, you know, being the bat?"

Bruce was about to respond when the orchestra started tuning up. Apparently, his watch was a few minutes behind. As the curtain went up, and the applause drifted from the audience, Selina leaned over to him and whispered in his ear. It was a whisper filled with promises of chaotic fun and sensuality.

"To be continued."

The opera was wonderfully directed and performed. Bruce found himself going back to his childhood, when he would visit the opera with his parents. He had hated it then, he thought it was boring. After their deaths, he found that he appreciated the epic drama that it created. He found it fitting.

Selina, on the other hand was bored to tears in a matter of minutes. Sure, she had been to operas before, but that was typically to look around at the jewels of the idle rich to see if there was anything worth her time. It didn't take long for boredom to push her back to her old habits. She soon started using her opera glasses to not observe the stage but to people watch. It sometimes shocked her what rich people thought they could get away with in public just because they were rich.

By the middle of the first act, Bruce had realized that not only was Selina bored, she was practically dying. Boredom and confinement was to Catwoman what glowing green asteroids were to the cape from Metropolis, and she was fading fast. Finally, Bruce leaned over to her, and whispered in her ear.

"I'm starving. Want to leave a little earlier than expected?" The smile and relief on her face was priceless. "We can't just leave though, it is a charity function after all. But, when intermission comes, that lady we met at the beginning of the night will come to check on us. We can make up an excuse and leave."

Selina's eyes burrowed into his, "I'm not fainting."

"But we've already created the background of you being medically weak." He spoke logically; he was convinced it made the most sense.

"It's not happening."

"Fine. I don't suppose you have any ideas."

"Oh," Selina's predatory grin was back on her face as she grabbed his bow tie and brought him closer to her. "I have a few thoughts."

Alfred had been minding his own business in the Rolls Royce, reading his favorite Agatha Christie book, when his phone rang. He checked it and saw the strangest text from Bruce. It said, "Leaving soon. Run by Cho Lin Fut's and grab take out. We're both hungry. Thanks Alfred." Shrugging his shoulders, Alfred started the car and made his way to Chinatown.

At the beginning of the intermission, the director of the Opera House began to make her rounds to thank all of the wealthy citizens of Gotham for attending. First on her list was the prestigious scion of the Wayne family.

"I hope you're enjoying the opera Mr.-" she stopped suddenly and nearly screamed, "Mr. Wayne!" Before her, Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne were on the floor of their box, embracing, kissing, moaning, and what she could only describe as writhing. She had to say his name three times before he finally broke contact with his accomplice.

"Oh, oh gosh," He got up immediately and helped Selina to her feet. His face and collar was covered in her lipstick, and she looked no different with her disheveled appearance and smeared lipstick. "Sorry, Ms., I guess we just got a little too into the spirit of Don Giovanni. Um, we'll be leaving now." He said, apparently embarrassed. As he drug Selina out of the box, she waved a tiny ta ta to the director.

Two hours later, they were in his bedroom, on the floor, eating General Tso's chicken and egg rolls. After nothing but wonderfully pristine and gourmet food, Selina found a sick satisfaction in eating something fried. She filled up quickly on rice, rookie mistake, so she fed her remaining chicken to Isis, who had joined them. His jacket was off, her shoes had been flung across to opposite sides of the room, and his bow tie hung debonairly untied around his neck. They were alone, and they were comfortable. After eating, they had just talked for almost two hours. At first it was stories, about capturing dangerous criminals, or of their favorite routes through the city by rooftop. But soon, it became more trivial. They talked about their favorite restaurants, favorite places to shop, and their favorite view of the city. It was so wonderfully normal.

"Well, I'm actually starting to get sleepy." She got up, and went to collect one of her shoes. "I'm going to go to bed Bruce." She crossed him to pick up her other shoe when he grabbed right arm. He made sure to grab her right arm; her left arm was still sore.

"Wait, you asked me a question. I never got to answer it."

"Hmm?" She asked, unconsciously leaning into him.

"About how I really feel, about being Batman."

"Oh."

"I'm tired Selina." He looked at her, and she knew he was telling the truth. And she realized what was happening. He was letting his guard down, if only for a few minutes.

"I'm tired of staying out all night, I'm tired of having an entire city rest on my shoulders, I'm tired of the people I care about being hurt," as he spoke, he brought her in closer to him, until he was holding her, and she him. He began speaking in almost a whisper. "I'm tired of feeling like I have to keep the people I care about at arms length to protect them. I'm tired of not letting myself be happy. Jesus, I almost lost you Selina. I wouldn't have been able to tell you how I felt. A mugging, a gun shot, and another person I treasure is dead in an alleyway."

He began to shake, and she knew he wasn't crying. He didn't cry. But she knew that if he could, he would. So she cried for him, she cried for them both. Somehow, they managed to land on his bed. He held onto her, making sure she wouldn't disappear, making sure she would be safe.

"It's ok Bruce. You can feel. You're safe with me. We're safe together. You can fall apart with me, we'll hold each other together."


	7. A Night at Wayne Manor

Selina awoke hours later. It was still a few hours from sunrise, and the moon hung low over the Gotham skyline. But it wasn't the view that first caught her attention; it was the overwhelming sense of something missing. At first, she couldn't place it, but she soon realized what it was. She was alone. Bruce was gone. It was amazing how just a few hours of holding a strapping man could make her feel so lonely when he was gone. Most of all, she felt cold. He had been so warm when he was holding her, and she him. Now, she just felt the cold, and the crushing silence that solitude brought.

Getting off the bed, she dragged the blanket with her and covered herself in it like shawl. As she walked to the bedroom window to get a better view of the Gotham cityscape, she couldn't help but laugh a bitter laugh. He was probably out there somewhere. He had finally acted human around her, and his walls were probably already being built back up.

He had warned her, she supposed. He said that it wouldn't be easy. That being said, what she had felt last night, it was more than flirtation, more than simple chemistry. There was an indisputable pull between both of them for better or for worse. They were slowly growing closer. They were on a collision course. She could feel it, the sense of anticipation that comes with the unknown. It unnerved her, and it scared him. Heh, she was the only one in Gotham to every really scare the Batman. Crane would lose his mind if he ever found out. But at this rate, still suffering from emotional whiplash, Selina wondered if she would lose her mind first.

Looking out on the view, she could see the batsignal in the air. She knew who she was trying to develop a relationship with. This wasn't the hero who fought for truth, justice, and the American way. He was a nighttime vigilante with some issues, she knew that she would find herself alone some nights. But after what they had shared with each other, she thought tonight would be off limits. It would be different if she was back in shape, because then Catwoman could be out and about with the Batman, but she wasn't. She was stuck back here. She silently cursed the waving black bat that was silhouetted against the dark sky. Any other night, it seemed, it would be ok. But not tonight, not when they just started.

"I love this view" a rumble came from behind her. She smiled, she just couldn't help herself. Maybe she had been too quick to judge. She didn't turn around, but she let Bruce wrap his arms around her, the now familiar warmth soaking back into her body. She leaned her head back to get as much contact with him as possible.

"I thought you were out there." She purred, "I was going to give you hell for leaving me alone when you got back. I guess I'll just have to save that speech for when it happens."

"It won't." He spoke so firmly and confidently.

"It's ok Bruce, it was just a joke." She said, playfully slapping the arm that was around her. She left her hand where it made contact with him though, wanting to hold him back in some reassuring way.

"I mean it. At least, not until you're back in shape to go out there too. I don't know who is after you, but while you're recovering at least I know you are safe here with me." It was touching, but behind the sentiment was a calculated tactic. Still, she wasn't going to let the fact he had planned this out scientifically and logically get in the way of the romance bubbling from beneath the stoicism.

"That's so sweet, it's almost cunningly methodical, but mostly sweet Bruce. Just one questions though?"

"Mmhhmm" His chest rumbled against her back.

"Who's going to protect the good people of Gotham while we're on our little stay at home vacation?"

"I called in Dick, Tim, and Barbara to step up their patrols for the next week and a half. The crime rate is down, there hasn't been a breakout from Arkham, the city isn't in mortal peril, they can handle it for that long."

"Wow, all this for little ol' me?"

"Don't get used to it. When you're back in shape to be out there you'll owe us. I was thinking you could start by helping Barbara patrol the South Side and part of Central with Dick." Only about ten other people in the world would be able to hear the humor in his voice. Luckily for him, she was one of them.

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl. So I'm being drafted into the family already?"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do Selina. But if you responding to a woman in need being mugged when you were shot tells me anything, it's that helping me and the others with Gotham is a logical conclusion."

"You just want to go on a date with me while we're both wearing our outfits and beating up random thugs don't you?" He loved the way she spoke; you could hear the smile in her words.

"If we were honest with each other, we'd both agree that we had been doing that for years anyway."

"Well, when you put it that way." She reached up and kissed his neck, the only part of his anatomy currently open to her. Her reward was a snugger hold and a chuckle that rumbled out from his chest.

"Say, in this little family of yours…"

"Yes?"

"You're sort of the Dad aren't you?"

"I'd argue that Alfred fills that role more often. My history as a parent isn't without its failures."

"No, Alfred is like the Grandfather, wise and caring and generous. You're the Dad right, like the one that gives the orders and deals out punishment and is respected and followed, yes?"

"Well, I guess when you describe it that way."

"So Dick and Tim would be your sons, I'm assuming Barbara is almost a niece?"

"I don't see where you're going with this."

"What would I be? Because I don't look good in an apron, I'm a horrible cook, and I'm lacking certain…maternal instincts." There was concern in her voice. She was vocalizing what they were both thinking, this conversation was moving incredibly fast and it's gaze was cast far into the future.

There was a long pause, and Bruce wasn't going to answer. This was all starting to move a little fast now. Yes, he saw Dick and Tim as adopted sons in a way, Jason as well. Also, yes, he saw Barbara as a young valuable asset to his unofficial team, and he had played a mentor role for her. But a family?

"Nightwing, Batrgirl, and Red Robin, along with Alfred are the closest thing that I've had to a family since I was nine years old." He said with a flat voice that contained the slightest tremor of emotion. "I don't think there is anything wrong with me wanting to share that with you."

"I don't either," she smiled, though still somewhat concerned, "it's just, I'm not sure I'm quite the type for capes."

"Selina," he turned her away from the window and toward him. "If you're worried about whether or not you'll fit in, don't be. This," he then stepped next to her and guided his hand over to the illuminated batsignal, but then swept it over the rest of the Gotham skyline, "is my world. I just want you to be a part of it."

She didn't say anything. She didn't have to say anything. My, the progress that one night of honesty can create between a reformed thief and an urban legend vigilante.

"I'd like that."

He kissed her then. It was chaste compared to the ones they had shared before, but it will full of promise and of hope for the future. Their kissed deepened though, as they pored all of their tired emotion into physical act of showing their affection for one another. Eventually, they broke though, Bruce looked annoyed and held a finger to his ear.

"What is it? I told you I can't be out there tonight." He sighed, casting an apologetic gaze to Selina who just shrugged in response. Suddenly, Bruce became still, and his brow furrowed in a thoughtful expression. "We'll be there in thirty, secure the scene, alert Gordon."

"What is it?" Selina asked as Bruce broke away from her. He simply asked her to follow him, as he guided her to the large study downstairs. He set the grandfather clock to eleven, and it opened to reveal the batcave. He was still silent as he guided her down to where the various armor and costumes were stored. He immediately began to change into his Batman suit as he talked to her, gesturing to her suit, goggles, and whip, that were on display next to his.

"Can you go? You won't have to fight or run or anything."

She just nodded her head as she began to change as well. He turned his back to her out of respect, which she appreciated but thought was moot since they had showered together not even twenty-four hours ago. When she was dressed, and had set her goggled on top of her head just in front of her cat ears, she told him he could turn around. He placed the cowl over his head, and briskly walked over to the Batmobile.

"Can you stop with the silent treatment and actually tell me where we are going?" She asked as she go into the passenger side seat.

"Nightwing called, they found the body of Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, about five minutes ago."


	8. The Court Returned?

Selina began to worry as the batmobile raced to the Nightwing's location. The calm exterior the caped figure next to her was completely opposite to the hairpin turns and screeching tires that echoed across the streets and alleys of Gotham. She had seen him agitated before, but she had never seen him react this way. A cold hand gripped her heart as the realization took hold of her; he was afraid. She didn't know what he was afraid of, she didn't know what had happened to put him so on edge, but it bothered her. Bruce had spent so long making himself a legend, to see him show some of the more negative aspects of humanity were sobering.

As they arrived at their destination, he pulled the batmobile into an alley next to an apartment building. Selina knew this apartment from her previous escapades, it was only known to the criminals of Gotham, it served as a safe house when the heat (or bat) got a little too hot. You would never find the likes of Dent of the Joker there, they attracted too much attention, but for Cat Burglars and an assassin of Deadshot's caliber, it was a home away from home. The apartment held beautiful rooms and full accommodations. Best of all, they did not ask questions about where their clients money came from, and they were exceptionally talented at lying to law enforcement.

As the roof of the batmobile slid open, the roof of the building was revealed to them. Two caped figures were looking over them on the rooftops. Without saying a word, Batman slid a protective and around Catwoman's waist, and grappled them both up to the roof. He was tender when he let her go, not as abrupt as he was normally, he took pains to make sure she wasn't sore it made her wound worse.

"What's going on?"

Batgirl was on her cellphone, leaving Red Robin the only one to explain the situation.

"We got a tip from the Iceberg Lounge that Deadshot was laying low here. When we arrived, and saw how he had been killed, well, Nightwing thought you would want to see it yourself."

"Show me."

"Alright, follow us." Batgirl spoke up, clipping her phone back onto her belt. "I just called Dad, he'll be here in about fifteen minutes with major crimes."

"Good work." Selina couldn't help but roll her eyes at the short responses that Bruce came up with.

"Oh well", she spoke up, "you can take the man out of the batsuit but you can't take the batman out of the man I guess."

For her word play she received a grunt from Bruce and a suppressed giggle from Batgirl. Red Robin just looked at her like she had just spat on the American flag.

"So, I guess you have to be a pretty girl to make jokes at Batman's expense without him yelling at you."

"Robin, focus!" Batman snapped, as they both dropped down the skylight into the suite below.

"Huh, I guess Nightwing was right." Batgirl said as her and Catwoman made their way down toward the skylight.

"Right about what?"

"He always said that he was more mellow when you were around. For our sakes I hope you two last a while." She smiled as she jumped down to join the other Bats and Birds.

"Oh, we're going to get along famously." Selina purred as she jumped down after the others. What she saw was horrifying. The room was far more orderly than she was prepared for it to be. There were three bullet holes on the east side of the room; Batgirl and Red Robin were busy examining them. On the west side, and ostensibly where the bullets had come from, was the man that tried to kill her. He was pinned to the wall with dozens of knives sticking out from his body. His blood had trickled down the wall and had pooled on the floor below. As Selina came closer, she overheard what Batman and Nightwing were talking about.

"You know what this means Bruce. It mean's they're back."

"No, it means that someone decided to kill Deadshot using their typical modus operandi. We have no proof it was them otherwise. Stop assuming and look at the facts."

"Facts? I have forty-five facts for you, and they're all sharp and sticking out of Floyd Lawton's body right in front of you. They are all the same type that the Talon's used, and they all have owls on them."

"Why?" Selina finally spoke as she came next to Batman. She had been a part of Batman's adventures sure, but only the glamorous fun ones. She stayed away from the disgusting ugly parts like this. She found herself unconsciously hugging herself. It's not that she had never seen a dead body before, it's just she had never seen one with such a horrified expression frozen on his face. Even the Jokers toxin or Scarecrows gas couldn't rival the nightmarish mask that was Deadshot's face.

"Why what?" Batman said next to her. He was still gruff, still characteristically stoic, but his voice had an edge of concern in his voice.

"Why would they kill the man that tried to kill me?"

"Because, he tried, he didn't succeed." She looked at him, and even through the lenses of his cowl she could see how worried he was for her. He wanted to hold her, tell her it would be all right, but he had to be the leader of the group now. He slid next to her and squeezed her hand gently for a second before breaking contact.

"Nightwing, you're right."

"Well, that's the first and last time I'll ever hear those words ever again. But, what exactly am I right about? The Court?"

"I'm still not sure it's them, but we have to be careful. Take the Batmobile and escort Selina back to the cave for me." When he saw both Selina and Dick were about to object to this order he continued, slightly more authoritatively, "there's nothing more than can be done here besides what I can do. You can all head back to the cave."

Obediently, Batgirl and Red Robin both leapt from windows to go back. Only Selina and Dick seemed hesitant.

"Fine, come on Cat, let's go back home." As he left, Bruce turned to face him and Selina.

"You know I'm just trying to protect you both."

"Oh, I know" Nightwing said as he fired his grapple gun to the roof again, "I just wish you'd do it a little nicer once and a while. So long grumpy," and with a salute he was flung to the roof.

"You don't have to protect me." Selina padded over to him, now that they were alone again.

"I would agree on normal circumstances Selina, but this is anything but. You're would be killer, killed in a way that only the Court of Owls kills, and you're still not fit enough to fight. It's all too connected, too convenient, and too dangerous for my liking. I'll be in the cave soon."

Selina walked over, and kissed him on the cheek, and spoke with a smile, "you're lucky I'm such an understanding woman."

"Truer words Selina."

"Oh my gosh!" Nightwing called from the roof. "Are we leaving or are you two going to play couple all night. You're both in black costumes. Dating in black costumes can't be healthy!"

"I should go before he blows a gasket." She slinked to the roof and used her whip to climb to the roof. When she found Nightwing he was talking to himself looking at the floor of the roof while holding his chin contemplatively, "actually I wear a black suit too, so by my own rules can I not date anyone?"

"You don't shut up do you?"

"Wow, and now you're even starting to sound like him. Fantastic. Well, come on grumpy cat, we have a cave to go back to."

As they left, Bruce took stock of the crime scene. He used his cowl to take holographic fingerprints from the guns on the floor, and to examine the firearms themselves. He then turned his attention to the body. He scanned it so that he could examine it in detail back at the cave. For now, the cursory survey of the body found that the cause of death was blood loss, but with no major arteries punctured. The victim would have suffered for hours before finally passing out and dying. Why would no one hear the screams of agony though? Could the staff have been bought off? It was as possibility but not likely; it would take too much money and left too many loose ends. Bruce shook that line of inquiry to focus on the rest of the room. He found the bullet wholes and was able to match their trajectory with the discarded firearm across the room. He had tried to put up a fight. So then, who could sneak up on a world famous assassin, and kill him with throwing knives while incapacitating him in a way so as to make him suffer and die without attracting attention?

While Bruce pondered these things, Selina was stuck next to a humming Nightwing on their drive back to the batcave. His humming was the only sound beside the batmobile itself filling the awkward silence.

"Sooooooo…"

"Mhmm?"

"You and Bruce huh? Finally making it official?"

"Oh my God this is unbearable."

"What? Just making chit chat."

"Why so nosy then?"

"Just, you know…wanted to make sure you guys had thought this through."

Selina's eyes narrowed, "what do you mean?"

"I mean, you know, Barbara and Tim weren't there for your whole, um, thing." When Dick looked over he knew he could expect a fresh claw scar in a few seconds if he didn't press forward, "Like I was there at the beginning when you and Bruce first met you know? I've seen the whole back and forth. The chases, the stares between the two of you…all those times that he told me to "gather evidence" at the crime scene of one of your thefts when I knew he just wanted to be alone with you."

With the last anecdote Selina had to fight an amused giggle. That put Nightwing back at ease, he didn't want to have to explain to Bruce how his new girlfriend had slapped him.

"Look, I'm sure you two are doing this kinda slow and steady and that's for the best. I just wanted to kinda say that I dig it. He's the happiest I've seen him when he's around you. Well, happy for him."

"Aw, I have a fan? I'm glad it's the bigger of the two birds. So, is this like a weird thing where the eldest son sees his single father date and he wants to make sure it goes smoothly for the whole family?"

"Well, he's not exactly my dad but…"

The sounds of laughter from the batmobile echoed all the way toward Wayne Manor. When they finally did arrive in the cave, Batgirl and Red Robin were already dressed in their normal clothes, and a dark figure was huddled over a hologram of the now diseased Deadshot.

"And then he says, "I have business with Catwoman, get the commi-" was the only sound that echoed around the entire cave, followed by laughter from Nightwing. Selina laughed as well, fully enjoying all of the scrumptious details that Nightwing had told her about Batman on the ride back. She left him laughing on the floor of the cave to join the shadow in front of the computer.

"I see you and Dick are getting alone well." Bruce said, batsuit still on, while he performed an autopsy on the holographic Deadshot.

"I never knew that you had a crush on me for such a long time."

"Everyone get over here!" he commanded, to which Selina, Dick, Tim, and Barbara gathered around him.

"There are no prints on the knives. The modus operandi is in keeping with the Court of Owls, however there is new information I've learned from the autopsy. First of all, his larynx was slit, making vocalizations impossible, as he was tortured. His pistol was a 10-millimeter, and was suppressed, but the suppressor is missing, probably taken by the killer as some sort of trophy. That is why no one reported the crime, or heard it take place. Finally, the knives. They are exact copies of the knives used by the talons, but they are new, not antiques like they usually use."

Silence fell on all present. Clearly they expected more.

"So, was it the Court?" Tim finally asked.

"We can't know for sure. It may have been a copycat, but even if it was they were very skilled. We should all be on alert. Keep an eye out for anything, and on your patrols start searching old Wayne buildings for Owl Nests that may be in use. Alfred."

"Yes Sir?" Alfred spoke from the corner of the room. Selina hadn't noticed him. It was crazy how stealthy he could be.

"Increase mansion and cave security to orange. If it is the court, they know who Batman is."

As the group disbanded, and Bruce led Selina back to the mansion, she felt that frigid hand reach up and grip her heart again. There was no way this would end well.


	9. Triple Date

Two weeks had gone by in Wayne Manor since the discovery of Deadshot's body. The jury was still out as to whether the Court of Owls had returned or not, or whether it was just some copycat with skill to spare, but Selina didn't like either option. She thought over everything that had happened as she spent some spare time in the Batcave. Her wounds had healed nicely, she still wasn't at one hundred percent, but she was improving rapidly. However, the downtime had left her more perishable skills dull. So, as she thought, she cracked her whip at a series of ten candles she had lit. With every crack, the flame was snuffed out.

Despite not being as accurate or quick with her whip and other physical attributes, she had enjoyed the little vacation her wound had afforded her. The quality time with Bruce had been wonderful. He had been so, somewhat surprisingly, gentle with her during her healing. She had been amazed how sweet the legendary Batman could be sometimes. But that did not stop her from worrying. Nightwing would bring back reports of from other cities, reports that worried her and Batman, though he refused to show it. Assassins that had been dressed like the talons of the court had been spotted in Metropolis, London, Washington DC, Central City, Coast City, Starling, New Orleans, Paris, St. Petersburg, Bludhaven, Berlin, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

She had grown up in Gotham; she had heard the nursery rhyme. "Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head." And she had been in Gotham for their attack on almost all of the elected officials, she had been there when they had taken Batman and nearly killed him. She knew what they were capable of.

When either her or Nightwing or anyone tried to talk to Bruce about the sightings of the Court outside of Gotham, he had brushed them off. He said that it was a mistake made by overzealous police officers that had seen what had happened in Gotham and were now scared the Court was in their city now. Or, it had been concocted by the news to sell more fear mongering stories. Then, when he was told how people he trusted, members of the League, had seen Talons and had found nests, he still denied. He said that the Court had always operated in Gotham, that there was no precedence for them to move to other cities, even when he had almost forced them from Gotham.

She could understand why he was so adamant. He had been physically and psychologically tortured by them, they had almost turned his city against him. But she couldn't help but wonder if his explanations were born out of facts, or out of fear. She only had one candle left now. With an exhale and a flip of her wrist, the flame was gone.

"Wow, that was pretty impressive." A slightly electronic voice came from behind her. She turned to see Dick, sans Nightwing paraphernalia, on the enormous screen of the batcomputer.

"Practice makes perfect."

"Where's Bruce?"

"He's upstairs, doing businessy Wayne Enterprises stuff."

"Well, I guess I better ask you then, you can convince him." He flashed a mischievous smile before continuing, "double date tonight, you, Bruce, me and Babs!" He was too excited. She knew something was up.

"Why?"

"Um, to have fun and left off some steam over this whole "Court of Owls 2: The Owling" fiasco that's been going on. Seriously, you and Bruce have had weeks off to do things that I frankly don't want to think about and relax. The least Bruce can do is spend .00001% of his fortune on a fun night out for Babs and me."

"And Tim?"

He shook his head, "Nah Tim had to run back to Titan's Tower. Apparently there's an emergency."

"Hmm, well it would be good to get out of the Manor for a night…"

"You would be the kind of person to complain about staying in the best building in Gotham."

"Alright fine, I'll tell Bruce to pick a nice restaurant and get us four seats."

"Four seats for what?"

She turned her head to see Bruce coming down to meet her in the cave. He was handsome as ever, and the tight t-shirt that showed off his physique wasn't hurting.

"Just the man we wanted to see!" Dick chimed in from the computer screen. "Tell him Selina, use your feminine whiles!"

"Dick wants to go on a double date tonight with us and Barbara. I told him it sounds like fun."

Bruce's eyes knit together. "Is there any particular reason for this Dick?"

"Pshh are you questioning my motives Bruce? We're just going to have a good time, that's it."

Bruce stared at the picture on the screen. "Will eight o clock this evening at the Royale be ok?"

"Will we be the at table I like?" Dick said excitedly.

"Fine. I'll reserve that table for four people." Bruce said giving in to Dick's childlike wish. He fished his phone out of his pocket and began to dial.

"Will you be able to get a reservation for six hours from now?" Selina asked.

"I bought the entire building the restaurant is in a year ago. I don't see a problem with getting a table."

"Awesome!" Dick said, almost too happy to have gotten his way. Suddenly he began twitching, only to find his own phone. "Hey Bruce, you might want to make that table for six, just got a text and it'll be a triple date now."

"Who are the other two?" Selina and Bruce nearly asked at once.

"Oh man look at the time! I've got to go I promised Babs I would take her shopping before dinner tonight, see you both there!" And before any other words could be uttered her terminated the transmission.

The rest of the day was a relaxed evening of slowly getting ready for dinner. Bruce and Selina had taken to having tea and coffee out on the balcony overlooking Gotham as the sun set. She knew that once she was back to normal completely, after their tea and coffee that would both leave on patrol. But for now, they lazily enjoyed their sunset, talking idly about what they should wear tonight.

When they time came to leave, Alfred drove them to the clock tower where Barbara and Dick were waiting for them outside. Selina always wondered why they all wore clothing that resembled their costumes. Bruce wore a black suit with a light gray shirt and black tie, Dick was wearing black as well, but with an eye-catching red tie set on a black shirt that only an energetic and youthful man like Dick Grayson could possibly pull off. For her part, Barbara was no better, she was wearing a violet dress that came down to her knees that matched well with her red hair, a purple and yellow clutch cemented the vaguely batgirl outfit. She couldn't help but shake her head, a group of people, all vigilantes, and all dressing in a similar vein to their costumes.

"Aren't you all afraid someone will notice that your formal wear and your crime fighting wear are very similar?" She asked sarcastically, no longer able to keep it in, a few minutes later as Alfred drove them to the restaurant.

"Wow, isn't that the cat calling the bat family black?" Barbara giggled out. Selina answered her with an arched eyebrow before Dick gestured at Selina's own outfit. She had worn black again, sure, and she was wearing several white gold bangles on her wrists but that wasn't strange. Then, she saw it, the cat eye diamond that hung from a silver chain around her neck. She didn't even remember putting it on.

"Don't!" She immediately put a finger over Bruce's lips. Dick and Barbara were already laughing; she didn't need him joining in. The rest of the car ride was enjoyable, and it seemed that tonight was going to be just an enjoyable night out as Dick had promised.

"So who is the other couple that's going to meet us there?" Selina asked, not able to hold her curiosity back anymore.

"Oh, um well, you'll see. It'll be a nice surprise." Dick backpedaled quickly, making Selina narrow her eyes at him and Barbara stifled a laugh.

"Ok Big Bird, if you want to keep your left eye maybe you should tell me who I'll be eating with." Dick chuckled slightly concerned, and ducked his head behind Barbara.

"That's my strong boyfriend." Barbara said as she pointed to the eyes peeking over her shoulder.

"I'm relatively sure I've already figured out who they are." Bruce said confidently. "But don't say who it is Dick. I want to see if I'm right." Selina couldn't believe Bruce sometime. He did love his little mysteries. With this, Dick came out from hiding, confident in the protection of Batman's order of silence.

The anticipation was killing Selina as they finally arrived at the building. The actual restaurant, which was a three star Michelin restaurant, was at the top level of the building, providing a wonderful view of Gotham at night. Her patience wore thin as the four of them rode the elevator to the top floor. Once they arrived, the Maître' D greeted them. Bruce had bought out the entire restaurant for the night; "to provide privacy," he had told them. When they turned the corner to the table that had been put in front there was a table set up in an empty room that provided a wonderful layout of the city.

"I knew it." Bruce smiled with satisfaction as he walked forward, leading the group to the two figures. Selina had never seen such towering figures. The man was incredibly muscular, but not overly large. His demeanor was light hearted, and even though he looked powerful enough to play as a linebacker for the Gotham Knights, his overall appearance was one of kindness and gentility. He wore a grey suit, with a red tie over his navy blue vest. The woman was just as tall as the man, without heels. She had black hair just like her partner, which fell down in a fountain of curls, and her red dress was paired well with her strangely large silver bracelets. She too looked strong, almost as if she exuded a power that seemed heavenly. The overall impression that she got from the pair was that or raw power, but one that was welcoming not overwhelming.

"Clark, Diana, nice of you to join us." Bruce said, shaking both of their hands. After pleasantries were exchanged with Barbara Dick and Diana and Clark, Bruce formally introduced her.

"Selina, Clark Kent and Diana of Theymiscara, better known as Superman and Wonder Woman. Clark, Diana, Selina Kyle. Better known as Catwoman."

"You don't seem surprised to see us Bruce." Diana said almost disappointedly.

"Told you he'd figure it out." Clark said quietly.

"There were only a few possibilities it could have been. I knew it would have to be a couple. Tim is with the Titans, and is single, so he didn't fit. That only leaves Oliver and Dinah, who are both handling a riot in Star City right now, Barry and Iris, which seemed unlikely, Carol and Hal, who is on Oa right now, and Arthur and Mera who rarely come ashore for non league matters. You two were my best bets. When I walked in and smelled pomegranates with ambrosia," he gestured at Diana, " as well as newly cleaned leather shoes," he then looked at Clark, "no doubt freshly washed from getting Kansas dirt and mud on them, I knew my suspicions were correct."

"Always the detective." Clark said, smiling like an innocent child.

"Indeed," Diana agreed, "but during the course of the night we'll see how good your escape artistry is."

"Wait," Selina said shocked, "you're both…."

"Yeah, not a lot of people know we're dating." Diana said, Clark just looked sheepishly at the floor at the comment.

"No, I mean, you're Superman? You," she said, pointing at Diana, "I can believe. But you," she then pointed back to "you're Superman? I thought that you lived in the arctic or something. But, you're just a normal guy?"

"Here," Diana said, as she took of Clark's glasses and started messing with his hair.

"Diana, is this really necessary?" Clark playfully protested. However, after fashioning his hair into a spit curl, and taking his glasses away, he was the spitting image of the Man of Steel.

"Talk about a power couple right?" Dick said as he sat down. The other five joined him at the table as they all sat down.

"I take it this isn't just a social visit then? Is there going to be an alien invasion or something?" Selina couldn't help herself from being sarcastic; this was such a strange experience. Sure, she had gotten used to the idea of incredible individuals in capes saving the day. She was dating one now for lack of a better term. But the two people across from her could level skyscrapers as a warm-up.

"Actually this is a social call." Clark chimed in, he seemed happy to be there.

"Well, for the most part." Diana corrected him. Clark looked over at her and narrowed his eyes.

"We have to talk about it sooner or later, better to get it out of the way at the beginning and have fun the rest of the night." Diana explained to him.

"Get what out of the way?" Bruce asked.

"The Court Bruce. They're back, and they're spreading through different cities." Diana went on. Clark just sighed and looked at Bruce with a shrug of his shoulders. Selina could tell Clark was more focused on having fun and good conversation than discussing something serious.

"The Court can't be back Diana." Bruce responded, "I chased them down, ran them out of the city. They were too well constructed to destroy completely, I'll grant you that, but they were left running. It would be impossible for them to come back and spread so quickly."

"That may be Bruce," Clark said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his glasses off. "But I saw them. The Talons."

"Me too, I was in London when they killed the mayor. Their weapons were, different."

"I'm not saying you didn't see them. Either of you." Bruce responded, "but it can't be the original Court. All of the Talons are under control. It has to be someone new."

"We'll figure it out." Clark said confidently, "but when we find this new Court, or whatever it is, we can count on your previous experience to help us deal with them right?"

"I'll do anything to destroy them." Bruce said darkly. And for a split second, Selina saw in him the old dark, vengeance filled wraith he had been when he first started out, before the Robins, before even her. It concerned her that the Court of Owls could have such and affect on him.

"Seriously?" Dick interrupted.

"What is it babe?" Barbara asked him.

"I've been trying to get Bruce to admit that there's a new Court of something for two weeks but all of the sudden Wonder…" At this point their waiters appeared with their first course, causing Dick to trail off. "Wonder where this food would get here man am I hungry!"

"Nice recovery." Barbara snickered as she began cutting into her salmon.

"Shut up, now like I was saying," he continued making sure no other staff was around, "I've been trying to get Bruce to talk about the Court for two weeks now but suddenly Supes and Wonder Woman show up and he's fine with the subject. Gosh, talk about favoritism."

"Regardless of the Court." Bruce said while raising his glass of wine, "I'm happy to you. It's, nice to see each other outside of our work." They all toasted their glasses, with Diana and Clark both sporting smiles that became larger and larger.

"He's so much happier with you around." Diana spoke to Selina like Bruce wasn't there.

"I've been getting that a lot." Selina smiled back.

"So then, we have three of the founding members of the Justice League, as well as four of the most well known figures in Gotham night life. With our powers united, how much trouble do you think we can all get into in one night?"

"What's your definition of trouble?" Selina purred out while winking at Bruce after he gave her a cocked eyebrow.

"I'm thinking we run the five." Dick said with a devilish smile.

"Richard Grayson! NO!"

"Come on Babs!"

"You remember what happened last time!"

"No, I don't, that's the point!"

"I hate to interject, but what is running the five?" Clark asked.

"It's where you go to the five different sections of Gotham, and you hit each of the major clubs and bars there before moving on. We're in Central now, so it would be easiest to start in the North, then work our way clockwise until we come back here and end it here at Verdant."

"Verdant?" Diana asked.

"It's the hottest club in Gotham!" Dick exclaimed.

"Oliver built it so he would have a supply here in case he ever had to come to Gotham unarmed." Bruce explained.

"You just let him build an arrow-cave in Gotham?" Clark asked incredulously, "I can barely get you to let me come within city lines."

"I have three operating sites in Star City, seemed only fair to let him have one arms depot."

"Well, I'm in." Selina said confidently. Every face turned to her, "what? I haven't run the five since I was a pickpocket."

"Alright we got four already!" Dick shouted through a mouthful of decadent chocolate cake.

"How'd you get to four?" Barbara asked

"If Selina goes, Bruce has to go." He paused to receive the glare he was already expecting from Bruce before he continued, "and you know you're going."

"I never agreed to this."

"Would you like to go?"

"….Kinda, yeah."

"Then what are we arguing about?"  
"I hate you sometimes."

"Love you too Babs." He smiled at her before shoveling the rest of his cake down.

"What do you say Clark?" Diana smiled at the bespectacled man across from her.

"Well you want to go don't you?" She smiled, wordlessly replying to him. "Well, when in Gotham…"

"Do as the Gothamites do." She finished his sentence for him.

"All right! Come on Justice League, let's go have a night we'll all regret!" Dick said ecstatically as he raced off toward the elevator, Barbara barely keeping up with him. "I've always wanted to say that."

"Where did I go wrong?" Bruce muttered as he finished his glass of wine.

"It's hard being a parent with lives like ours." Diana explained.

"Yeah, you should have seen how hard it was to potty train Krypto." Superman joked.

"Anyway," Diana got up, with Clark following her lead. "We'll meet you downstairs."

As Diana walked away, Clark shook hands with Bruce again, "What have we gotten ourselves into Bruce."

"I wish I could say for sure."

"Too bad we like strong women." He whispered before leaving to follow Diana.

"What did he tell you?" Selina asked with a smirk, fairly sure she overheard what he said.

"He said," Bruce got up and went to the executive elevator, using a keycard to access it. As they got in and the doors closed he pressed the button to take them down, "that he thought you were lovely."

"Uh huh, sure." There was a brief pause as they rode down. "Bruce?"

"Hmm?"

"Tonight is either going to the most fun night we've ever had, or the strangest? You're the world's greatest detective, which do you think it will be?"

"We're going out on the town with Nightwing, Batgirl, Superman and Wonder Woman. These are the lives we live Selina. I don't think we'd be able to handle a normal night out."

"Well, it promises to be an interesting experience."

Hey guys, I want to thank you for reading, and I'd like to run and idea by you all that are reading this. I was thinking about extending this weird DC universe I have going right now. It would be a crossover series of fanfictions each with a different DC couple, and it would crossover with this series. So, for instance, I would write one about Superman and Wonder Woman and relate that plot with the Court of Owls plot I have in this one. Regardless if I write other fanfics to crossover with this one or not, Superman and Wonder Woman most likely won't appear in this fic again, in case you were worried about there being too many characters. Also, this chapter was a little more humorous, and that is because the coming chapters are going to get, well, incredibly dark. But please let me know what you think of an expanded story crossing multiple plots! I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Interlude

The figures that were gathered around the mahogany table were all immaculately dressed and sat with the confident poise that power and influence gave. At the head of the table was an older man, whose dark hair was losing a war against the grey and onslaught of time. The others addressed him as Judge, and he led their meeting, occasionally banging with his gavel when certain businesses had been concluded.

It was a seemingly normal meeting. They had gone over that month's business transactions went over the profit they had made so far this year, and did a total of their treasury. It was only seven billion dollars, disappointing compared to the seven hundred sixty three billion they had only two years ago. But, it was enough to supply their empire. They had been tentatively scouting other cities to possibly move to, since they had fallen under new scrutiny after the Catwoman fiasco.

Their intelligence had not changed much, Catwoman was formally living with the Batman now, and she was recovering. The only thing that had changed was three weeks ago when the Kryptonian and the Amazon had arrived in Gotham and met with the Waynes. That had appeared to be a social visit though because after a night Superman and Wonderwoman left the city. Besides that, it had been business as usual: Robin was with the Titans, and Nightwing and Batwoman had largely done most of the crime fighting to allow Catwoman to recover and Batman to investigate the court. Luckily for them, his investigations had proven fruitless thus far.

The Judge banged his gavel again and said with practiced authority, "Is there any new business to come before the court? If not I will accept a motion to adjourn."

A young man with a manicured beard sat next to him and held his hand aloofly in the air.

"Yes, Aleister, what business do you have for the court?" The Judge said, almost tiredly.

"You still have yet to call a vote on my plan." The young man replied.

"That is because your idea is preposterous. Even when we were at our prime nearly two years ago we could not have attempted what you ask us to do. The Court has no wish to expand its empire outside of Gotham." The Judge said sternly.

"With all due respect Judge Black," the younger man said with a troubling confidence and power that made the older man's hair stand on end. "Is it not up to a vote from the entirety of the court as to what the court does and does not do?"

"The court shares my concerns." The Judge spoke back.

"Do they?" The young man smiled predatorily.

"Let's hear him out Judge." A voice came from the back, there were nods of agreement from other court members, and the Judge had to let him have his say.

"The Court recognizes Aleister Black." The old man said dejectedly.

Aleister wasted no time; he stood with a theatrical flair and addressed the court. "You all know my work so far. I have sent agents and talons from London to Metropolis and even Istanbul. But, I have not done so to spread us away from Gotham, but instead I have done so, so that we may take our City back. My talons have made contact with," he paused for dramatic effect, "certain influencers and powerful beings all around the world. And all of my contacts in these cities would all benefit from the same thing we would. The destruction of various costumed vigilantes."

Whispers and murmurs spread through the court at these words. Aleister seemed to revel in the attention. "A coordinated attack upon all of these "heroes" in their respective cities at the same time would mean there would be no possibility of their allies reaching them to help. After all, Superman can't help a dying Green Arrow if he is getting shot with a kryptonite bullet at the same time that Batman is being burned alive in his mansion."

The audacity of the plan silenced the room. It was only the old Judge that seemed to be able to talk, but he had gone white at the realization of the mania that gripped Aleister.

"That would take power, precision and timing the likes of which the world has never seen. You fly too close to the sun Aleister! That large of an attack would surely fail! Besides, we have never busied ourselves with other cities of beings before, why should we care about the Justice League now?"

Aleister smiled, but the Judge could see the barely concealed rage in his eyes. He walked next to the still seated judge and leaned on the table next to him.

"I wish for once you would stop living in the past and actually THINK!" He screamed the last word into the old man's face. "If we try and conceal ourselves as we once did we will die, perhaps slowly, but die none the less. When Batman revealed us to the world, we lost our greatest weapon, which was secrecy. Now, if we are to climb back to our former glory, we must step into the light and kill all of our adversaries with one fell blow."

"But we have no quarrel with Superman or any of the other Justice League members!" A voice came from somewhere from the middle of the table.

"I didn't catch who said that," Aleister said threateningly, "but whoever said it is far too stupid to be a member of this wonderful society. Play it out in your heads!" He bellowed to the rest of the court. "If we kill Batman what happens? Nightwing or Robin or Batgirl replaces him and we have to deal with a new Batman, Police Commissioner and Catwoman that are driven to destroy us even more! And if we kill the Police Commissioner, the Batman, Batgirl, Catwoman, and everyone else, then the Justice League would step into Gotham to replace all of them. We have no choice, we cannot get rid of our enemies quietly and one at a time as we used to." He then pointed at the Judge and cried, "His plan to assassinate Batman using the old ways only ended in Catwoman getting wounded and Batman on our tracks! We need a new plan, a new way, and…" he let the silence hang before continuing while looking at Judge Black, "a new leader."

"A coup then is it, Son?" Judge Black said, almost baffled. "Well, it seems you played your hand far too early. Talons!" At his command three of the Court's Talons appeared seemingly from nowhere to stand behind him. "I demand you arrest this traitor at once!" The Judge said, now standing pointing at Aleister.

Aleister merely smiled, and walked over to a nearby liquor cabinet. He poured a glass of bourbon and chipped away at an ice block with an ice pick, getting the ice he needed for his drink. After doing so, he turned around to look back at his father and the Talons behind him, smiling.

The Judge turned back to face the Talons, their unblinking masks showing no emotion. "I ordered you to seize him!" He said, fear no infiltrating his voice.

"They don't take orders from you anymore, father." Aleister smiled and sipped his drink, still holding the ice pick in his right hand.

"Thomas! Percy! Tonya! Help!" The judge now looked around to the various court members still seated at the table. None of them moved though, some out of fear, others from antipathy.

"They won't help you," Aleister said, now walking toward his horrified father. "They no better than to follow blind leaders. Hold him down." With this command the Talons pounced on the old man and held him face down on the table. The force they could exert on him was tremendous, and he was forced to turn his head toward his son. He began to hysterically cry and beg for mercy.

"You see brothers and sisters, this.." and he gestured toward his begging father, "is what keeping to the old ways has done for you. It's left our once glorious court to become aging, babbling, broken, and dead." When Aleister reached his father, he laid the icepick on his father's temple, and grabbed the Judge's Gavel, ready to slam it into the pick and kill his father.

"Here's to progress." He smiled as he reared back with the gavel and drove the icepick deep into his father's head. There was a nauseating crack of bone being penetrated followed by a splash of blood that hit Aleister in a diagonal line from his face down to his chest.

"Take this away will you?" He asked the Talons and they obeyed immediately, dragging the body away, leaving Aleister standing there with the gavel in his hand. He then casually sat down in the Judge's chair.

"Do we need to a call a vote on my plan then?" He asked in an amused tone to all that were sitting there. A hushed tone was all the answer he needed. "Right then! Do I hear a motion to adjourn the Court until our next scheduled meeting?"

"I make a motion Judge Black." A small brunette woman said as she raised her hand.

"Please call me Judge Aliester." He smiled back, "Does anyone second that motion?"

A small man raised a shaking hand and said in a clearly terrified voice. "I second the motion Al- I mean Judge Aleister."

"Excellent! Court is adjourned! You're all at liberty until our next meeting!" He banged the bloody gavel twice on the table, flicking blood to and fro as he did so.

After the meeting, he was driven home by a Talon and began the arduous process of washing his father's blood off of his face and clothes. After a he found his phone and dialed the appropriate number.

"Hello Mr. Luthor? Yes this is Aleister Black, I'm sorry to call you at this hour, but I have great news! Yes, yes, I managed to change the Court's mind about our little business arrangement. Yes, they were so thrilled by the new direction I was voted in as their new leader. Oh, yes I know, exciting times are just over the horizon Mr. Luthor. I'll call you later once I have talked to my other contacts. Yes thank you, goodnight."

As he watched the sun rise over the horizon to greet his city, Aleister was excited. This time, nothing would stand in the way of progress.


End file.
